Bottle-cleansing machine.



I PATENTED MAR. 31,1903. J. H. KOEHLER& G. LINDB. Y

BOTTLE CLEANSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. 10, 1902. I

2 SHEETS-4111B}?! 2..

NO MODEL.

w I H hl v 0e er A Gustav L'inde v V v 6 UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS H. KOEHLER AND GUSTAV LINDE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOTTLE-CLEANSING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,881, dated March31, 1903.

Application filed January 10,1902. sens No. 89,094. wo an.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ULIUS I-I. KOEHLER and GUSTAV LINDE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri,.have invented a certain new and useful Bottle-CleansingMachine, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exactdescription as will enable any one skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming partof this specification.

Our invention consists generally in a machine for cleansing bottlescomposed of a pl'u rality of tanks containinga liquid orliquids, acarrier adapted to pass the bottles through the tanks, and means foremptying the bottles on withdrawing them from one of the tanks andfilling them again with the liquid contained in another of the tanks.

Our invention further consists in combining in a bottle-cleansingmachine a tank, a second tank the bottom of which is above the bottomofsaid first-named tank, and acarrie passing through the tanks.

Our invention also consists in certain other mechanisms, which will behereinafter more fully described," and pointed out specifically in theclaims. V

In the drawings attached tothis specification, in which like charactersof reference refer to similar parts in the different views, Figure 1 isa top plan view of a bottle-cleansing machine embodying one form of ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 22,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a front elevation of our mechanism for clamping the bottlesupon the carrier of our machine. Fig. 5 is a'section on the line 5 5 ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is-a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, showing also therack in which the bottles are brought to the machine in position in theclamping-frame. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of the bottle-rack shown insection in Fig. 6; g

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 is a tank partly filled with anydesired liquidin which it is intended to immerse the'bottles in order toclean them. Situated within this tank 10 are two other tanks 11 and 12,also partly filled with liquids. These tanks 11 and 12 are considerablysmaller thanthe tank 10 and are supported with theirbottoms considerablyabove the bottonrof the tank 10. We- -prefer to form these smaller tanks11 and 12 by fastening the partitions which compose the bottoms and endsof said tanksdirectly to the longer sides ofthe tank 10. By means of.this construction the longer sides of the tank '10 serve also reform thelonger sides of the smaller tanks 11 and 12. haveQshown how two or moreof, these sets of tanksmay be operated side by side, each set of,tanks'being provided with a carrier, which isnow to be described. 14 isa shaft journaled in the sides of the tank'10 near one end of said tank.'To this shaft 14 is fastened atone side of thetank-10theTdriving-pulley 15, around which passes a belt 16, which isthe means of furnishing power'to operate the machine. from any suitablesource. 17 represents pulleys carried upon the shaft 14 and situatedinside ofthe tank 10 near the sides of said tank. .Over these pulleys 17passes the endless belt 'or'carrier 18. This carrier we prefer toconstruct of two endless chains 19, betweeen which are carried rods 20,(see Figs. 4 and 6,) fastened to the chains 19in a manner to behereinafter described. These rods 20 serve to support frames 21, whichcarry in them the bottles to be cleansed. From the pulleys l7 thecarrier18 passes downward into the tank .10 and over idler-pulleys 24, carrieduponia shaft 25, journaled in the sides of the tank 10. The carrier 18passes from this point,t0 the opposite end of the 'tank' 10, where it,passes upward over idler-pulleys 26, mounted ona shaft 27, alsojournaled in the sides of the tank 10. Midway between the pulleys 24 and26 the carrier is supported andfkept from sagging by passing overthesmallidler-pul- 'leys 28, which are independentlyjournaled onseparate shafts 29 in the sides ofrthe tank 10, so as to allow of thefree passage of the bottle-holding frames 21 between them. From theidler-pulleys 26 the endless carrier passes upward to the top of thetank 10, where it travels over idler-pulleys 30, carried upon a shaft31, journaled in the sides'of the tank 10. After passing over thesepulleys the carrier 18 passes downward into thesmaller tank 11, where itpasses under two sets of In Fig. 1 we pulleys 32 and 33, situated nearthe bottom of said tank 11 and journaled upon independent shafts 31 and35 in the sides of the tank 11, so as to allow of the free passage ofthe bottle-holding frames 21 between them. The carrier 18 then leadsupward out of the tank 11 over the idler-pulleys 37, carried by theshafts 38, journaled in the sides of the tank 10 directly above thedivision between the tanks 11 and 12. The carrier 18 then passesdownward into the tank 12 and over two sets of pulleys 39 and 40,journaled upon shafts 41 and 42 in a manner similar to that describedwith respect to the idler-pulleys 32 and at the bottom of the tank 11.The carrier 18 then passes upward out of the tank 12 and over theidler-pulleys 44, journaled upon the shaft 45 in the top of the sides ofthe tank 10, and thence passes back to the pulleys 17.

Referring now to Figs #1. 5, t3, and 7, in Fig. 7 is represented abottle-holding rack in which the bottles in our preferred method ofhandling the same are broughtto the bottle-cleansing machine. This raekconsists of a-grating 50, having rectangular openings, and a secondgrating 51, having circular apertures 52, into which the necks of thebottles are inserted, as best shown in Fig. 6. These two gratings areconnected by means of four rods 57, as is also best shown in Figs. G'and7. \Vhen the bottles 58 are in position in this rack, their necks areinserted through the openings 52, and the lower or body portion of thebottles are supported when the bottles are in substantially horizontalposition by means of the gratings 50. In Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 isrepresented a frame corresponding to the frame 21 shown in Figs. 2 and3, attached to the carrier 18, into which the rack 50 is adapted to beinserted and to which both the rack 50 and the bottles 58, carried bysaid rack, are intended to be fastened by means of a clamping devicecarried by this frame. The frame consists ofa metal box ofapproximatelyrectangular vertical longitudinal section, open at its rear end andhaving its sides tapering so mewhat toward its front end. These sidesare cut away, as shown, for the sake of lightness, as far as isconsistent with the strength of the frame. The front end of the frameitself is also open, with the exception of the two horizontal bars 60and the flange (51, which projects inward from the sides of the frame.At the front of this frame are four sets of clamping-plates 62, 63, 64,and 65, the edges of which are cut away at corresponding points to formcircular openings, which register with the necks of the bottles 58 whenthe rack carrying said bottles is inserted into the clamping-frame. Theupper ends of these clamping-plates are adapted to reciprocate in slot-scut in the flange 6G, fastened to the top'of the frame. The lower endsof the clamping-plates are heldin position by and adapted to reciprocatein yokes 67, formed by suitably-bent iron strips 68, fastened upon theflange 61. The clamping-plates (J2, 63, 6-1, and also pass at theirmiddle points through yokes 69, formed similarly to theyoke 67. Fastenedto the flanges 61 and 66 are eyes 70, through which passes the rotatableshaft 71, carrying the handle 72, which is adapted to be held in itsinner position by the spring-clamp 73, fastened to the flange 6 1. Eachend of the shaft 71 is provided with a crank 75, to which is pivoted aconnecting-rod '76, having pivotal connection at its other end with thereciprocating bars 77. These bars 77 reciprocatein yokes 78, between theyokes 67 and 69. 80 represents bent levers pivoted at 81 and 82 to thesets of clampingplates 62, 63, 6 1, and 65. These levers 80 are alsopivoted at their free ends to the reciprocat ing bars 77. To thelowerside of the frame are rigidly fastened two hooks 85. The ends ofthese books, which project beyond the rear of the frame, are bent toform eyes 86. The transverse rods or pintles are composed'of shortsections of iron gas-pipe and are fastened upon the carrier-chains 10 byhaving inserted into their ends cylindrical lugs 87, carried by thelinks of the chains 19. -The eyes 80 encircle one of these rods, asshown in Fig. 6, while the hooks 85 inelose the neighboring one of theserods 20, thus operating to attach the bottle-carrying frame to thecarrier in such a manner as to hold said frame positively in apractically constant position with relation to the carrier and at thesame time to allow sufficient play or reciprocation at the joints toenable the frame to pass with the carrier around the pulleys, asdescribed in connection with Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

In cleansing the bottles we prefer to fill the large tank 10 with asolution of washingsoda, which serves to remove the grease from thebottles, and we prefer to place in the tank 11 an antiseptic solution,while in the tank 12 we usually place clear water to give the bottles afinal rinsing.

In the operation of our invention the bottles are brought to the machinein the racks 50, each rack adapted to contain sixteen bottles. Thecarrier is then caused to move in the direction indicated by the arrowsin Fig. 2. As the clamping-frames 21 pass over the pulleys 44: the rackscontaining the bottles are inserted into the rear ends of the frames,the handle 72 having been previously thrown back,causing theclamping-plates to be spread apart by means of the lovers 80. The necksof the bottles then enter the circular openings between theclamping-plates. The handle 72 is then thrown back to its inmostposition and fastened by means of the springclamp 73, thusfirmlyclamping the bottles by their-necks in the frame 21, so that thebottles are positively held in a plane substantially parallel to thecarrier 18, with their bottoms facing in the general direction ofmovement of said carrier. The frames 21,

carrying the bottles, then pass over the pulleys 17 and downward intothe tank 10, the

I bottles entering the solution contained in the tank bottom first, sothat they are immediately filled with said solution as soon as theirmouths pass below the surface of the solution. The bottles then pass thelength of the tank 10, receiving a prolonged soaking in the sodasolution, and emerge from the tank at its opposite end bottom first, sothat the bottles are immediately emptied of the solution contained inthe tank 10 as soon as their mouths emerge from the surface of thesolution, that portion of the solution which is contained in the bottlesbeing returned to the tank 10. In a similar manner the bottles then passthrough the tank 11, being filled on enteringthe tank 11 with theantiseptic solution and emptying themselves on emerging from the liquidin said tank, the solution contained in the bottles being returned tothe tank 11. The operation of the machine as the bottles are carriedinto and out of the solution in the tank 12 is substantially the same,the solution contained in the bottles being in each instance returned toits proper ,tank, so that the various solutions contained in thedifferent tanks do not become mixed through prolonged use. As thebottles pass upward over the pulleys 44: the attendant 'may ascertainwhether or not they are thoroughly cleansed by looking through theirbottoms, and if their condition is not satisfactory they may be passedthrough the machine again. If, however, they are thoroughly cleansed,the bottles are released by operating the handle 72,as above described,and the rack 51, containing said bottles, removed from the machine, anew rack filled with bottles being inserted in its place.

It will thus be seen that the solution contained in each tank is appliedto both the exterior and the interior of the bottles, thoroughlycleansing the same, and that this is done in the shortest possible time,the machine operating to cleanse the bottles during both the outward andthe return movement of the carrier, thus saving the timewhich isordinarily lost while the bottles are returning from the outer end ofthe tank to the place where the attendant stands to remove them from themachine and insert new bottles in their place.

Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a bottle-cleansing machine, a tank adapted to contain a liquid, asecond tank above the bottom of said first-named tank, and

a carrier for the bottles passing through said tanks.

2. In a bottle-cleansing machine, a tank, a second tank above the bottomof said firstnamed tank, and means for passing the liquid in said tanksinto and out of the bottles.

3. In a bottle-cleansing machine, a tank, a bottle-carrier passingthrough said tank, and an attaching device for positively holding thebottles at all times approximately parallel to said carrier.

4:- In a bottle-cleansing machine, a plurality of tanks, abottle-carrier passing through said tanks, and an attaching device forpositively holding the bottles at all times approximately parallel tosaid carrier.

5. In a bottle-cleansing machine, acarrier" for the bottles, a tankadapted to contain a liquid and through which said carrier passes duringits outward movement, and a second tank adapted to contain a liquid andthrough which said carrier passes during its return movement.

6. In a bottle-cleansing machine, a'carrier for the bottles, a tankthrough which said carrier passes duringits movementin one direction,and a second tank above the bottom of said first-n amed tankthrough"which said carrier passes during its movement in anotherdirection.

'7 In a bottle-cleansing machine, a carrier, a rack open at one side forthe insertion of the bottles and from the opposite side of which thenecks of said bottles project, and a clamping device upon said carrierfor fastening said bottles to said carrier by their necks.

8. In a bottle-cleansing machine, a carrier, a frame attached to saidcarrier, a rack for holding the bottles and adapted to enter said frame,and clamping mechanism carried by said frame for clamping the necks ofsaid bottles. v

9. In a bottle-cleansing machine, a carrier having transverse bars, anda bottleholder pivotally carried by one of said bars, said bottle-holderbeing provided with a member embracing another of said bars so as toallow longitudinal movement between said member and bar.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and aflixed ourseals in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS H. KOEHLER. [L. s. GUSTAV LINDE. [L. s. Witnesses:

J AMES H. BRYsoN, JESSIE R. WATKINS.

IOC

